Desha's Reno of the Turks Fan Fiction

Chapter 25: The Games We Play

“I swear to Ifrit, ‘Lena, if ya don’t cut it out…”

It was probably the most threatening tone of voice he ever used with the rookie… which is to say, it wasn’t especially threatening at all… but at the moment, he was pretty sure she couldn’t even hear it over the sound of her own hysterical laughter anyway. Reno’s eye twitched as he ground his teeth in irritation, and he clamped down on a few choice profanities just begging for release. The fact that he couldn’t actually say them at the moment only served to annoy him farther.

“Yeah, yeah… laugh it up.” He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the doorframe. “Did ya actually want somethin’, or are you just here for the free entertainment?”

The chime of the elevator sounded and Reno cringed. Crap… neighbors. He grabbed Elena by the arm and dragged her through the door and into his apartment, slamming it shut behind her.

“I just c-came by to return the movie I borrowed from you last week. What in Shiva’s name h-happened to you?” she managed, breathlessly.

“Careful, ‘Lena… You’ll insult my stylist. You wanna leave here with your shins in one piece, I’d watch it… She kicks pretty hard.”

Elena took a few deep breaths, composing herself enough to speak. “What are you talking about? And why do you look like that?”

Reno sighed. He couldn’t exactly blame her for laughing. If he’d come upon himself looking like this, he’d be rolling on the floor, too. The pigtails were bad enough… the long, narrow braids that sprouted from them just made it more ridiculous. And it certainly didn’t help that each braid was decked out in pink and sliver heart-shaped beads, or that several had silvery ribbons woven into them. At least he’d been man enough to draw the line at glitter. There was no way in hell he was going to be washing that out of his hair for the next… forever.

And besides… it was nice to see Elena laughing again. For the past couple of weeks it had been harder than hell just to get a smile out of the rookie sometimes.

“Because at some point, I forgot how to say no…” he muttered.

“Wait… you really let someone do that to your hair?”

“Ya think I did it to myself?” he asked, incredulously. “Fine. Come on… I’ll introduce ya…”

He led her through to the living room, having to step over any number of dolls, toys, and coloring books to do so. The television was on, cartoons playing at a louder than comfortable volume. Nestled on a chair in front of it was a little girl, perhaps six or seven years old… who’s mousy brown hair was styled very much like Reno’s currently was. She looked up at the new arrival in curiosity, deep brown eyes going wide.

“‘Lena… this is Mirian. Mir… ‘Lena.”

“Hi,” the girl said, smiling widely.

“Er… Hi there.” Elena blinked, slightly confused as to why Reno was, apparently, taking care of a child. “Umm… Something you’d like to tell me?”

Reno snorted softly. “I know what you’re thinkin’. She’s not mine. Far as I know, I’ve never gotten anyone knocked up. I’m just keepin’ an eye on her for the day. She’s Kel’s kid.”

“Kel has a daughter?”

“Yep. Mir lives with her mom. He gets her on the weekends… but he got dragged into work today, and her mom’s visiting someone in Kalm, so I kinda got roped into emergency babysitter duty.”

Elena giggled softly, and tugged at one of the braids.

“And this is the result?”

Reno’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t spend a whole lotta time around kids, ya know. I ran outta shi– stuff do to with her and I was desperate for somethin’ to keep her busy, okay?” He shrugged. “Kid wanted to play with my hair.”

“Did… you just stop yourself from swearing?” Elena asked, eying him strangely.

“He’s not allowed to use bad words while I’m here,” a little voice said at her side, “Daddy said. Uncle Reno? I’m hungry.” She held her arms out, looking up at him expectantly. The redhead sighed and picked her up as requested. Mirian promptly wrapped her arms around him.

Elena couldn’t stop herself from snickering. “Uncle Reno?” That might very well have been the most adorable thing she’d ever heard.

“Ugh… Gimme a break, ‘Lena. I’m kinda out of my depth here. Either help, or leave me alone in my shame…” he replied, though Elena had the feeling he was only half as annoyed as he sounded. Reno carried the girl into the kitchenette and set her on the counter. “What do ya feed these things anyway?”

---

Elena yawned as she approached the elevator. She hadn’t slept very well last night. It had been almost two weeks since her brother’s funeral, but she still occasionally woke in the middle of the night, thinking she had things she’d forgotten to take care of. And every time it happened, it took her forever to get back to sleep. This time, it had been so close to morning she hadn’t even bothered trying.

As time went on, the raw sense of loss had begun to fade… only to be replaced with a deep-seated feeling of regret at not having made more of an effort to keep in touch with Bel on a regular basis. The last time she’d spoken to him was shortly before he’d left the Great Glacier for Mideel. Before that, she hadn’t heard from him in months, and hadn’t seen him in well over a year.

She shook her head, and stepped into the elevator car. There wasn’t much sense in dwelling on it… after all, there was nothing to be done about it now.

“Hey, wait up!” a familiar voice called out as the doors began to close. Elena instinctively blocked them from sliding any farther, holding the elevator. Moments later, Reno slipped inside with her.

“You’re on time…” she commented.

“Tch… Come on, ‘Lena… I’m almost always mostly on time. Usually just barely, but I’m not habitually late. By more than a few minutes.”

Elena snorted in quiet laughter. One nice thing about working with Reno… no matter how bad a mood she was in to begin with, it didn’t take long for him brighten it.

“So… did ‘Uncle Reno‘ have a nice afternoon after I left?”

“Yes, Uncle Reno had a very nice afternoon,” he said, rolling his eyes, “Mir’s actually kinda cool to hang out with… long as ya keep her away from your hair. And loaded weapons.”

“… I’m not even going to ask.”

“Probably for the best.”

“You know… I’m a little disappointed, Reno.” She teasingly grasped his ponytail, and gave it a gentle pull. “I was kind of hoping you’d keep the braids for awhile… Rude would’ve loved them.”

“You breathe a word of that to Rude, you’re gonna be doin’ extra training in the pool this week. And next week. In fact, you say anything about it and I’m not lettin’ ya out of the pool ’til you’re part fish.”

The elevator chimed at their destination and opened. Before either of them had taken more than two steps into the hallway, however, they were waylaid by a rather unwelcome visitor.

“Kya ha ha ha! Looks like I finally get to spend some quality time with my favorite Turk!”

Reno only just managed to resist flinching away from the hand that shot out and caressed his cheek. It was harder still to avoid shuddering at the touch, but somehow he did. The woman’s heavily lacquered nails trailed somewhat threateningly over his skin as she drew her fingertips along his jawline. Scarlet placed a hand on her hip and assumed what Elena could only assume was meant to be a sultry pose. The thinly veiled look of disdain on Reno’s face seemed to go unnoticed.

“See you later…” she purred. Her long, red dress brushed against him as she strolled past and into the elevator the two of them had just vacated, heels clicking sharply on the tile. Even as the doors closed, she was still staring at the redhead with a decidedly predatory look in her eye.

“… What was that all about?” Elena wondered aloud, staring after the executive. If that was how she always treated Reno, it was no wonder he avoided Scarlet like the plague… The fact that she was easily twenty years his senior made it especially disturbing. Reno didn’t answer her, and she turned to look back at him, growing concerned at what she saw. He looked slightly horrified and maybe even a little pale. “Reno?”

“Fuck.”

He took off at a sprint for their main office, shoving the door open and skidding to a halt just inside. Elena caught up to him several seconds later.

“Tseng… please tell me you didn’t do what I think you just did…”

The Turk leader sighed and cast him a deeply apologetic look, handing him a cup of coffee.

“I’m sorry, Reno. There was no way to avoid it. I’ve been requested personally to accompany Rufus while he tours lower Junon this afternoon, and even if I recalled Rude from looking into that incident at Icicle Inn immediately, he wouldn’t be back in time. It was the only option.”

“Sir? What’s going on?” Whatever had happened, neither man seemed happy about it.

Reno groaned loudly, and sat down on the couch beneath the window, fingers coiling around the mug as he stared into the dark liquid. “He gave me to Scarlet…”

She looked to Tseng, questioningly.

“Scarlet requires an escort. Reno is the only one available,” he clarified.

“Oh, is that all…” Elena sighed in relief. That wasn’t so terrible.

“‘Is that all’? ‘Lena, do you have any idea what she’s gonna do to me?”

“Do you?” she asked, curiously.

“Tch… You saw her out in the hall. Now imagine an entire day of that shit and worse.”

“… or more.”

Reno’s eyes widened. “What the fuck do you mean ‘or more’?” he asked, evenly.

“Dio of the Gold Saucer has an item in his museum she’s interested in. She’s going there to attempt to negotiate the purchase. And I’m sure you’re aware of the man’s attachment to the items under his curation. It make take some time… though I doubt Scarlet is too concerned about the time required, considering.”

“Concerned? Hell, she’ll probably try to draw it out as long as she can, just to keep me under her clawed thumb.”

“I know. And that’s why Elena is going with you. Hopefully her presence will dissuade Scarlet from attempting anything too inappropriate.”

“Don’t ‘spose I could call in sick?” he asked hopefully. Tseng smiled.

“You could… but then I’d have to send a rookie Turk out on her own and hope Scarlet isn’t feeling too vindictive.”

Reno glanced over at Elena in resignation. “Fuck that. Scarlet’ll tear her apart if she shows up without me…” The redhead set his coffee aside and rubbed his eyes. “Fine. I’ll do it. But if I come back permanently traumatized, it’s on you.” He stood up, looking less than thrilled. “Come on, ‘Lena… let’s go pack. Better bring shit for at least a few days…”

As Reno trudged out of the office, Tseng caught her by the wrist.

“A word, please.”

“Yes, sir?” He released her, and gestured toward his own office. She hurried to follow him, taking a seat.

“I believe the only executive you’ve ever had to deal with directly is Hojo, correct?”

“I’ve had a few run-ins with Heidegger, as well, sir.”

“Mmm… but not as a matter of assignment. I want you to be careful around Scarlet. She’s well-known for pushing the limits of her authority… and she unfortunately has a great deal of authority. And I realize it probably goes without saying, but though Scarlet’s security is your primary concern, I also want you to look out for Reno. That woman is… relentless. And she has a disturbing habit of regarding people under her as company property for her to do with as she pleases.”

“Sir?”

“Put simply, she’s been harassing him for years… and because of her rank, the best I can do is to keep them as far apart as possible. On occasion, however, I’m unable to even do that.” He gave an annoyed sigh picked up a sheet of paper Elena recognized as an official request. “The last time I had to pair them up, he came back with nail marks down his back. I’ll spare you the details on how they were acquired…”

“You don’t mean they… um…”

Tseng smirked. “No… I very seriously doubt Reno would ever allow her to take things quite that far, regardless of the consequences.” At her questioning glance, he elaborated. “Physically, Reno is more than capable of fending her off, of course… Professionally, however, is another matter. She and Heidegger have an alliance of sorts. As a result, we’ve had to step somewhat carefully around her, and for the sake of peace, Reno tends to be… permissive… around her to keep her placated. Though I rather wish he wouldn’t. Personally, I think it only encourages her further.”

“So… really, I’m going along as Reno’s chaperone, sir?” It was difficult not to laugh at the thought, and Tseng seemed to share her amusement.

“Essentially. Please just try and keep him out of her clutches… and for Leviathan’s sake, out of her hotel room. I don’t envy Reno at all should she manage to corner him somewhere.”

“Sir?” She had just remembered something Reno had mentioned some time ago… and she couldn’t resist asking.

“Yes, Elena?”

“Reno told me once that… Sir, did you really stuff Scarlet into the trunk of your car after she passed out drunk at a Christmas party?”

Tseng snorted in laughter. “Yes. I did,” he replied, “And should I ever have such an opportunity presented to me in the future, I will be only too happy to do so again.”

---

Later that morning, Elena found herself on the rooftop helipad with Reno waiting for the arrival of their assignment. The redhead seemed far quieter than usual, and not the least bit happy.

“Hey… ‘Lena?” he finally prodded, breaking the silence. “Do me a favor… don’t leave me alone with Scarlet. She usually behaves herself when there are witnesses around, and it really is kind of a pain to have to dodge her attempts at grabbin’ my ass every five seconds.

Elena started to replied, but was quickly silenced by a shrill voice.

“What’s she doing here?” Scarlet stormed across the roof towards the pair of Turks, obviously not pleased to see that Reno wasn’t alone.

“She’s our newest rookie, ma’am. That means she goes where I go. Training, ya know?”

“Well, I don’t want her. Send her back to your office.”

Reno shrugged and Elena got the distinct impression he was enjoying the fact that Scarlet was so put out. “Sorry… Can’t. Tseng’s orders.”

Scarlet narrowed her eyes at the rookie and whipped out her phone. “We’ll just see about that…”

“You wanna argue this with Tseng, fine. You’re gonna be at it for awhile. Let me know when you’re ready to leave. Come ‘on, rookie… we’ve got time to grab some lunch while we wait.” His expression turned somewhat lecherous, and he fixed Elena with a leer as he snaked an arm around her waist and let his hand come to rest on her backside. “Or… somethin’…”

Scarlet looked like she wanted to murder her.

“Ugh… nevermind. Let’s just go.” She stormed past them, and boarded the helicopter. Elena glared at the redhead and elbowed him hard in the ribs, and the hand quickly withdrew.

“Seriously?” she asked, rolling her eyes.

“Yeah… Sorry. But if she’d started in on Tseng about it, he probably woulda had to give in and keep you here. ‘Specially if she bitched to Heidegger.” He followed the petulant executive toward their transport before glancing back at her with a somewhat maniacal grin. “Oh… by the way. You’re piloting. Try not to kill us, ‘kay?”

---

“You!” Elena winced as Scarlet’s nails dug into her arm even through her jacket as she grabbed her roughly and spun her so they were face to face. “I’ll be speaking to Heidegger when we return… You can kiss your pilot’s certification goodbye!”

The woman released her, shoving her back into Reno’s arms, and walked away, anger radiating from her in almost visible waves. Reno, in contrast, was shaking in silent laughter, as he guided her along behind the executive.

“‘Lena… That was some of the worst flying I’ve ever seen. Dunno what the hell Tseng’s been teachin’ ya but you desperately need more practice,” he said. Once Scarlet was far enough ahead of them, he fixed her with a smirk, “Nice job.”

Elena rubbed at her bicep where Scarlet had latched onto her and returned the smug look. “You’re welcome.”

“She hurt ya?”

“Not really… but I do think she might’ve left a bruise.”

“Be glad your uniform was between you and those claws of hers. Those things are wicked.”

They trailed along behind Scarlet as she headed into the Gold Saucer. The omnipresent music that blared cheerfully from the loudspeakers at the entrance was already beginning to grate on Elena’s nerves. It had been a number of years since she’d last been here. She’d forgotten just how obnoxious the theme park could be. Reno, though, didn’t seem to mind.

“Too bad we’re workin’. I love this place,” he grinned.

“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me…”

“What? You’re not a fan?” They started toward the tunnel that would take them to the Ghost Square. Scarlet’s meeting with Dio wasn’t until that evening… plenty of time to get themselves checked into the hotel and secured.

“It’s just so… gaudy and overdone.”

“Yeah… It’s great…” he responded, looking around at the sights. Elena snorted in contempt, but didn’t argue. It seemed fitting that Reno would thoroughly enjoy a place like the Gold Saucer. He really was kind of a big kid sometimes.

They arrived in the faux graveyard that welcomed guests to the Ghost Square hotel. She’d never understood the appeal of this, either. The somber, spooky décor didn’t exactly scream “good night’s sleep”… On top of that, at the moment, the stroll through the tombstones was making her think a little too much of her brother. She shook her head and forced herself to pay attention to the task at hand. She was on duty, and letting her mind wander like that was hardly professional.

As they entered the hotel and approached the front desk, she couldn’t help but feel like she was being watched. The whole setup was creepy. And when the hotel manager suddenly dropped from the ceiling hanging from a noose, she instinctively went for her gun. Thankfully Reno had the presence of mind to subtly grab her arm before she could aim. That was definitely something that had been added since her last visit.

Checking in didn’t take long. They’d been given two rooms… one for Scarlet, and one for the two Turks. Before long, Scarlet was safely tucked away in her room, taking stock of the minibar in the corner, while Elena and Reno set about taking care of standard security protocols. This consisted largely of motion sensors in the hall and on the door to Scarlet’s room and a small camera accessible from either of their phones to monitor the corridor. That done, they, too, retreated to their room.

“Remind me never to throw you a surprise party… jumpin’ out at you might be a little too hazardous to my health,” Reno snickered, as he flopped down on one of the two beds along one wall. Elena flushed slightly.

“Oh, shut up.”

“Hell, maybe I shoulda let you shoot the guy. Add a real ghost to this place. They’d probably love ya for increasing their revenues.”

Elena shot him a dirty look and sat down on her own bed, opening her bag. She set a few things out on the nightstand.. her hairbrush, the charger for her PHS… before tucking the bag alongside the bed. There wasn’t much sense in unpacking completely. Odds were they wouldn’t be here for more than one or two nights.

“So…” Reno prodded, lifting his head off the mattress and looking across at her, “You alright?”

She glanced up in surprise. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

He shrugged. “Kind of a morbid place to be stayin’. And it’s only been a couple of weeks.”

“I’m fine…” she said firmly. The last thing she wanted was to be handled with kid gloves. Reno had been very kind and attentive in the days following her brother’s death, and she was grateful, but she didn’t want, or need, to be coddled forever.

“Relax, ‘Lena… Wasn’t tryin’ to imply anything. I was just checkin’. Kinda got the feeling this place might be draggin’ up some unpleasant thoughts.”

Elena sighed and smiled a little. “Yeah… It kind of is,” she admitted, “I’ll be okay, though.” She paused a moment, looking at him curiously. “How is it you always seem to know when something’s bothering me?”

“I’m good at readin’ people. Always have been.” He sat up, sitting cross-legged on the bed. “That’s actually how I caught Tseng’s attention in the first place. Not the only reason he recruited me, but it’s definitely what got me a second glance.”

“How did you get recruited, anyway? Rumor has it you went straight from the slums to the Turks and skipped recruit training all together…”

“I did, for the most part… but it’s not quite as impressive as it sounds. We were short on recruits at the time and they needed new personnel, so Tseng managed to talk Veld into lettin’ him train me in the field. And you already know he had his hands full when I was startin’ out… That’s kinda the reason why. Honestly, though, I probably woulda washed out of the recruiting program. I was a real shit at sixteen. Tseng put a hell of a lot of time and effort into me to make sure I’d be around for awhile.”

“So how’d he even find you?” Tseng never seemed to spend much time in the slums these days… though maybe that was different earlier in his career. Still, tapping a sixteen year old as a potential Turk on a random visit to Sector 2 seemed like an awfully big coincidence.

“Heh… Well… at the time I was–” His PHS, much to Elena’s dismay, chose that exact moment to ring, and she recognized the ringtone as the one Reno had set for calls that couldn’t be ignored. Which meant it was probably Scarlet. “Yes?” he answered, “Yes, ma’am…” He scowled and ended the call. “Scarlet wants to go visit some of the attractions before her meeting and demands an escort.”

“Well… that is kind of what we’re here for…” Elena pointed out.

“Yeah… but on the whole, the Gold Saucer’s a pretty secure place, and she knows it. In fact, I’m fairly sure the only reason she requested a security detail in the first place was because she somehow found out both Tseng and Rude were otherwise occupied, and she’d definitely end up with me. Usually she doesn’t bother at all, unless there’s a known threat. Even I have to grudgingly admit she can handle herself in a fight.” He dragged himself off the bed. “Come on… the longer we keep her waitin’, the more this is gonna suck.”

---

Less than fifteen minutes later, Reno and Elena found themselves in the short line for the gondola ride at Round Square. She couldn’t help but think that maybe this wouldn’t be so terrible after all. The gondola was one of the things she really enjoyed at the Gold Saucer… the view was amazing.

Scarlet had sidled up to Reno more and more the longer they waited, and the redhead had to continuously twist away from her attempts to grope him. It might have been funny watching Reno so desperately trying to avoid her advances – had it been anyone else, he’d most likely have been enthusiastically encouraging it – were it not for the fact that the woman seemed utterly incapable of taking the hint that he wasn’t enjoying the attention. Tseng hadn’t been exaggerating. She really was relentless, and Elena felt a little sorry for him.

They reached the front of the line and the next gondola car swung into place. Scarlet more or less dragged Reno inside with her, then slid the door closed before Elena could follow.

“You can stay here and make sure the station stays secure,” she said, fixing the female Turk with a coldly smug, and thoroughly insincere, smile. Elena was left speechless as the car began it’s trip along the ropeway, and she could see the somewhat resigned look on Reno’s face as they disappeared around the first bend.

“Great…” She moved off to a narrow bench to wait, wondering what Scarlet had in mind for her captive audience. It was only a ten minute or so ride. There was only so much she’d have time to do to him… Reno would be fine. She was sure of it.

Still…

She hadn’t liked the way Scarlet had looked at her. As ridiculous as it sounded – to her at least – Elena had the sinking suspicion that in Scarlet’s mind, she had inadvertently become the woman’s arch-nemesis in the quest for Reno’s affections. She sat down, irritated, and checked her watch. Scarlet’s meeting was scheduled for twenty minutes from now. At least they would be free of her for awhile once the pair got back… they could foist her off on Dio for a few hours and finally have some peace. Maybe get some dinner while they had the chance to actually enjoy it… she was starving. And if she was starving, Reno was probably about to faint from hunger.

Elena sat back for awhile, watching as each gondola returned. The Square wasn’t crowded, but there was a steady stream of riders coming and going. A car never left the station empty. Finally, she spotted a couple she recognized disembarking… they’d been ahead of her in line, which meant Reno and Scarlet would be returning momentarily as well. She stood and made her way over to meet them. The next gondola arrived, and the operator opened the door. Elena’s jaw dropped slightly, and the man at the controls loudly cleared his throat. Scarlet looked up at him with a slightly shocked expression.

She’d had Reno pinned beneath her on one of the benches, her knee pressed firmly between his legs as she claimed his lips. One hand was behind his head, giving him no room to pull away from her. The other… well, Elena couldn’t see what it was doing, and given the way the redhead was squirming, she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to know.

Scarlet gave one last teasing nip at his earlobe and released him, standing up and stepping calmly back onto the station platform.

“We’ll have to continue this later,” she said, snidely smirking at Elena as she walked past. “You’re both dismissed while I attend to business matters.”

Reno staggered out after her and shuddered violently. “I think I need a shower…” he muttered under his breath. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand, grimacing at the streak of red lipstick left behind. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

“How bad was it?” She fell in step beside him as they made their way back toward the hotel.

“Let’s just say if someone had tried doin’ that to you, I’da beat the shit out of ’em, executive or not…”

“I-I’m sorry… I should’ve tried to get in ahead of her. I didn’t mean for you to get stuck alone with her.” Elena said. Reno was decidedly pissed off, and she couldn’t blame him.

“Nah… Not your fault. I wasn’t expectin’ her to pull that shit either. Probably shoulda been, though…” He paused and tilted his head to one side, revealing a deep purple bruise at the junction of his neck and shoulder, just below his shirt collar. “She leave a mark?”

“Umm… yeah. Kind of a big one.”

“Dammit. I was afraid of that…”

Elena frowned and followed as they headed through the Ghost Square’s graveyard and up the stairs to their room. “You shouldn’t just let her get away with that…”

“Oh, real nice…” Reno muttered as he studied the hickey in the mirror. “Eh… It’s easier than tryin’ to argue. Give in a little and she’s satisfied for awhile. Stops her from trying to take things too far. Hell, I wouldn’t even mind that much, really, if she didn’t cause so much damage every time she gets ahold of me.”

“You… wouldn’t mind?” she said in disbelief. Reno shrugged and sat down on the bed.

“Okay, yeah… that might be trivializin’ it a little. I don’t enjoy havin’ her all over me like that. But to be fair, I don’t dislike bein’ pursued. I don’t even mind things gettin’ a little rough… within reason. I do mind bein’ intentionally injured, disrespected, and treated like property. Fuck, if she acted like she actually thought I was a human being, she probably coulda got what she wanted by now.” He laid back and rolled onto his stomach, grabbing a pillow, and burying his face in it with a groan. “This is gonna be a long fuckin’ assignment.”

Elena sat down next to him, and placed her palm between his shoulders. She stroked downward along his spine, all the way to his waist, and back up, drawing a soft moan from the redhead.

“Mmm… Don’t remember ever tellin’ ya I like that…”

“I saw Tseng do it when you had chocobo pox… It looked like it was helping.” She repeated the motion, falling into a slow rhythm. “And you’ve done it to me a couple of times. I just thought there was probably a reason.”

He raised his head minutely, turning to look at her. “It always calmed me down as a kid. Mom used to do that when I had trouble fallin’ asleep. It just… feels nice, ya know?”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. When I was really little my dad used to tickle the bottoms of my feet… I used to love that. It was really soothing…”

Reno snorted a laugh. “Huh… Whaddya know… Rookie’s got a foot fetish…”

“It is not a fetish, you perv!” Elena said, trying not to laugh. She seized the pillow he’d nestled against, pulling it out from under him, and brought it down on his head with a loud whapp. Reno rolled over and caught hold of it before she could hit him a second time.

“Geez, ‘Lena… I’ve already been assaulted once today. Gimme a break,” he said, snickering. “Anyway… you hungry? ‘Cause nice as that felt ’til ya started beating me, I’m about ten minutes from passin’ out…”

“Starved.”

“Good… Tonight’s couples night at the Event Square. Dinner and a show, and if ya bring a date, it’s free. You good with tellin’ people you’re my girlfriend?”

“Sure, why not? How’d you know about couples night, anyway? I haven’t seen anything about it…”

“Scarlet mentioned it… right before she started gnawin’ on me. Kinda got the feeling she was plannin’ on me takin’ her to it. Guess she didn’t realize it was the same time as her meeting with Dio. Pity.” He smirked and climbed off the bed.

“So naturally, your first reaction is to take me instead… Are you sure it’s such a good idea to antagonize her like that? I think she might already be a little… um… jealous of me. Because of what you did on the helipad before we left…” More than a little, if that look she’d gotten at the Round Square was anything to go by.

“Oh yeah… she’s jealous as hell,” Reno said, grinning. “I might be kinda limited in what I can do to piss her off while I’m on duty, but she’s got no say in what I do when I’m off the clock. She officially dismissed us… that means we’re not working right now. And that means I can mess with her…”

“Reno…”

“Ah, come on. What’s the worst that’ll happen? She’s already gonna make this assignment a living hell for me. Might as well have a little fun while I’m stuck here… And, seriously. Free food. Let’s go.”

“Alright, fine,” she sighed. For some reason, though, the phrase “famous last words” kept running through her head on a loop as they left the hotel.

---

When they entered Event Square’s massive theater, they were greeted by a pair of knights in armor.

“Welcome to Couples Night! An evening of delicious food, spectacular entertainment, and, of course, romance…” one of them said, rolling the ‘R’ with a flourish.

“And all for but the price of true love’s kiss,” the second added, motioning Elena towards Reno. She shook her head, laughing, and kissed him on the cheek.

“Dear lady… that was hardly worthy of true love,” the first knight chastised her. “Perhaps your beau can do better…”

The redhead gave her an impish smile, and grabbed her around the waist, bending her backwards as he kissed her full on the lips. She should have known… Reno wasn’t about to let free food – or the chance to repay her for laughing at him the other day – get away. She decided to just go with it and let him. Though when an approving cheer went up from the audience moments later, she wasn’t entirely sure what to make of it.

That is… until Reno broke the kiss and pulled her gently back to a standing position, allowing her to catch sight of the stage. She very nearly groaned out loud. The huge screen at the back was showing a photo of the two of them, surrounded by hearts, with the word ‘Steamy’ emblazoned across the top.

“Ah… now that is surely true love’s kiss!” the second knight cried, ushering them into the Square. Reno looped an arm around her, escorting her to an empty table.

“You know I’m going to have to kill you for that, right…?” she whispered.

Reno snickered. “Fine… but murder me after dinner, alright? No sense in letting public humiliation go to waste…” He pulled her chair out for her with an exaggerated bow. Elena took her seat, and her ‘date’ quickly joined her. “Not a bad act, though… you weren’t nearly as stiff as you were in Costa del Sol.”

“I’m… more used to you doing things like that now, I guess.” She smirked. “Besides… as many times as I’ve woken up in bed with you, a little kiss hardly seems like a big deal at this point.”

“Smartass,” he said, grinning widely. “Rude’s right. I’m a terrible influence on you.”

---

The show had been more than a little silly – and, thankfully, they’d narrowly escaped being recruited for the audience participation portion – but dinner was delicious, and some time later… after assuring themselves that Scarlet was still occupied with whatever it was she was discussing with Dio… the two Turks found themselves wandering around Wonder Square. Reno had talked her into playing a few games against him… she had beaten him several times, though he was quite a ways ahead of her by the time they’d grown tired of the competition.

“Not big on the arcade, huh?” he asked.

“Not really… I like the rides and the chocobo races better.”

“Ugh… chocobos. No thanks.”

Elena giggled softly, thinking back to her introduction to Reno’s aversion to the avian creatures. “You know, if you gave them a chance, you might end up liking them.”

“Tch… Right. Those feathered bastards hate me the second they set eyes on me. Every last one of ’em. Feeling’s mutual, too.”

“But they can be so nice…”

“Sure, if they like ya,” Reno replied, leaning back against the railing that overlooked the surrounding area. “If they don’t, they’re mean, obnoxious, and… bitey.”

“Bitey? Reno, that isn’t even a word…” Elena snickered. “And come on… chocobos don’t bite. They’ll kick… and they might snap at you a little if they’re annoyed, but I’ve never seen one bite.”

“Oh yeah?” Reno rolled up his left sleeve a little ways, revealing a faint scar on his forearm. “First one I ever got near gave me that. Don’t try and tell me those fuckers don’t bite.”

“What did you do to make it bite you?!” she asked in disbelief.

“What’d I do? Nothin’! Not a damn thing,” he said, pouting slightly. “I just wanted to pet it… all the other kids got to.”

“Wait… how old were you when this happened?”

“Six? Seven, maybe? Somethin’ like that. It was a real little one. Not even as tall as I was, and I was a pretty shrimpy kid. Guy had three or four of ’em and was tryin’ to sell ’em as pets. Stopped where me and some other kids were playin’ around. I thought they were kinda cute… at first.”

“T-that’s awful…” Elena said… unfortunately, she couldn’t quite keep the amusement out of her voice. It was a terrible thing to laugh at, and she was a terrible person for doing so… but for some reason, she couldn’t stop picturing poor Reno – the Reno she knew, not the motherless little boy all alone in the slums – with a miniature chocobo latched on his arm.

“Oh, yeah… thanks. Laugh at my childhood trauma.”

“I’m sorry… I’m really sorry…” she managed, forcing herself to stop. “I just… I have no idea what you looked like as a child, so all I can picture is you now…” She snorted as her self control deserted her. “… with a tiny chocobo chewing on you…”

Reno scowled and looked away, arms crossed over his chest. Elena finally sobered.

“I’m a horrible person. I know… Please don’t be mad.”

He glanced at her sideways, and let his lips curve into a smirk. “Please… my sense of humor’s way more warped than yours. I’ve laughed at worse…”

Elena joined him at the rail, gently shoving him. “Jerk.”

“We still got some time before Scarlet’s back to orderin’ us around. Anything you wanna hit up? Besides the chocobo races…”

“… Well… I do sort of want to go on the gondola…” she replied, hesitantly. She loved the views from the cable car, but she wasn’t sure Reno would be too eager for a repeat of earlier, even without the pushy executive along.

“Really?”

“It’s… um… kind of my favorite. But if you don’t want to go, that’s alright.”

“Nah, it’s fine with me. Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“You didn’t exactly have a good time the first time around,” she pointed out. Reno grinned.

“Yeah. ‘Cause Scarlet was tryin’ to molest me at the time. Sure, I’ll go with ya… might be nice to ride it without worryin’ about having to keep someone’s hand outta my pants.” He paused and eyed her suspiciously. “I don’t have to worry ’bout that… right?”

“Ugh…” Elena rolled her eyes, ignoring the redhead’s snickering.

He took her by the hand, leading her towards the tunnel to Round Square, and they soon found themselves hanging high over the desert below. Elena leaned out the window slightly. The view at night was beautiful… the sky over Midgar was never this clear, and there seemed to be no end to the stars above her. Reno joined her moments later.

“Probably shouldn’t be surprised you like this sorta thing. Fits right in with those stupid romance novels of yours…” He hoisted himself onto the sill so he could hang even farther out than Elena was.

“You know… I don’t make fun of any of your hobbies,” she said, grabbing him by the belt and pulling him back through the window. His precarious perch was making her a little nervous.

“That’s ’cause none of my hobbies involve phrases like ‘the sweat glistened on his manly chest as Ricardo parted her voluptuous thighs and caressed h– ‘.”

“Okay! Fine… so they’re a little cheesy…” she said, laughing as she quickly cut him off.

“Cheesy? They’re ridiculous. ‘Lena, please tell me that’s not really what you’re lookin’ for in a guy. It’s such bullshit. The guys in those books hardly have to touch ’em and the chick is screamin’ in ecstasy. Then they’re at it all night long.” He flashed her a teasing smile and added, “I mean sure… that’s totally what I’m like in bed, but come on… How many other guys can legitimately make that claim?”

“Sure, Reno… totally legitimate…” she replied with a shake of her head, “You know… for someone who thinks they’re so absurd, you seem to know an awful lot about the plotlines…”

“Said they’re ridiculous… didn’t say I’ve never read that shit.” He smirked as he noted her suspicious expression. “What? You try getting’ your hands on decent porn as a pre-teen slum rat. Had to make do with what I could find. Books sucked, but at twelve, they got the job done. Not that it takes a whole hell of a lot when you’re twelve and really, really…”

“Okay… Stop,” she groaned, raising a hand to cover her eyes, “First of all… way too much information. And second… how do you manage to get so many women to go out with you when you say things like that?”

Reno’s grin widened, and he pulled her down along with him onto the bench. “Easy… You’re the only woman I say shit like that around. ‘Cept maybe Lira, but she’s just as bad as me.”

“Oh, great… I feel so special,” she deadpanned.

He put an arm around her, and pulled her closer. “You should. I do it ’cause I know I can get away with it around you without makin’ you hate me. I love that about you, ‘Lena. You might not like it when a take things a little too far into the gutter, but you don’t hold it against me, either. I can just be myself around you.”

“Aww…” Elena smiled, and leaned her head on Reno’s shoulder.

“And you turn an awesome shade of red when you’re really embarrassed…” he added.

“You are impossible…” She snickered quietly as she sat up. The station was coming up just ahead of them, and she stood, pulling the redhead to his feet. He didn’t have the chance to answer, as his PHS began to ring. He sighed and fished it out of his pocket.

“Sounds like our break’s over.”

---

Scarlet was still speaking with Dio outside of his office when the two Turks turned up. They stood to one side, waiting for her to finish the conversation. Going by her expression, though, the meeting hadn’t resulted in obtaining her goals. Reno groaned internally… that meant at least another day here. Finally, the woman broke away from Dio and walked toward them.

“You,” she said, looking directly at Elena, “will return to the hotel and… do whatever it is you do when I’m not around. I don’t want to see you for the rest of the night.”

“Y-yes, ma’am…” She glanced over at Reno, uncertainly but didn’t dare disobey, and headed for the elevator. She could still hear Scarlet, however, and flinched at the tone she adopted as the woman turned to Reno.

“And you,” the executive purred, “will accompany me to a special encore of tonight’s Event Square show that Dio has been kind enough to arrange for me… and later, we’ll…”

Whatever Scarlet had planned for ‘later’ Elena missed as the elevator doors closed, cutting her off from her friend. She wasn’t sure which was worse… knowing what was in store for the redhead now, or not knowing and letting her imagination run rampant at the possibilities. Regardless, she was sure she’d hear all about it when Reno got back.

---

Nearly three hours later, she was beginning to wonder if he was coming back.

It was close to midnight, and there’d been no word from the redhead. The show they’d seen at dinner had only gone on for about forty minutes. The performers couldn’t possibly have stretched it much longer than that… which begged the question… just where were they?

When the proximity sensors she and Reno had set up earlier went off a few minutes later, it was a relief. She considered peeking into the hallway, but Scarlet had been very clear about not wanting to see her again tonight. She was hesitant to test just how literally she’d meant it. Instead, she pulled up the tiny wireless camera they’d positioned outside on her PHS… and laughed out loud.

Reno was supporting the executive as she staggered towards her room… Scarlet, meanwhile seemed to be trying to kiss… or lick… his cheek while she slipped a hand inside his shirt, rubbing his chest. There was little he could do to stop her, as all of his effort was currently directed at the attempt to get her down the hallway. He did not look amused. He did, however, glance pleadingly up at the camera, apparently hoping that Elena was watching.

Elena set her phone down and hurried to the door, pulling it open. The smell of alcohol was so strong, it hit her from several feet away.

“Thank Odin… ‘Lena, do me a favor and go unlock her room, will ya?”

“What’s she doing here?” Scarlet slurred, “I told her to go’way… Go’way you stupid Turk whore! He’s mine t’night!”

Reno’s eye twitched, but he refrained from commenting. Elena, meanwhile did as he’d instructed, opening the door to Scarlet’s room ahead of the pair, and turning on the lights. The redhead hauled the executive in and tossed her onto the bed.

“Goodnight, ma’am,” he muttered, clearly annoyed, “Come on, ‘Lena…”

“Oh, no… you get back here…” She snatched at him, grabbing the edge of his jacket, and pulling him back, before turning a glare on Elena. “You get out!” Reno waved her off with an ‘I’ll deal with it’ expression, and Elena turned to go…

“Ahh! What the hell!?” The cry was followed by a loud ripping sound. “Goddammit… ‘Lena, gimme a hand here…”

When Elena looked back, Scarlet was all over him. One hand had seized hold of his ponytail, yanking his head back and exposing his throat… which she was enthusiastically nuzzling… while the other gripped a fistful of his torn shirt. Elena was at his side moments later.

“What should I do?” she asked, not sure where to begin. Reno winced.

“Pry her fucking hand outta my hair, for starters… preferably before she rips it out.”

Elena began untangling the woman’s fingers from Reno’s hair… which was no small feat, given that she seemed to have twisted and knotted them into it as deeply as she could, pulling loose the elastic band that held it for a better grip.

“S-she won’t let go…” No matter how much she tried, Scarlet’s grip was ironclad. Suddenly, it loosened.

“Get your filthy hands off of me, you little guttersnipe!” she bellowed. Reno seemed to have been forgotten for the moment, as Scarlet shoved him away and turned on Elena instead. Neither of them had been ready for the drastic change in focus, but while Reno landed safely on the bed and scrambled to his feet mere moments later, Elena suddenly found herself directly in Scarlet’s crosshairs.

The executive cocked her arm back and swung, delivering a stinging slap to the rookie’s face before Reno could stop her or Elena could duck. Elena felt the woman’s nails rake across her skin. Reno finally wrapped his arms around the Scarlet’s waist, dragging her away as she continued to attempt to lunge for the rookie.

Scarlet was a woman possessed. She wanted so badly to get her hands on her self-imposed ‘rival’ that Reno was taking quite a beating simple by restraining her.

“Oh, the hell with this…” he muttered as her elbow caught him in the ribs, and he slipped his forearm around her neck, applying pressure. Elena watched wide-eyed as Scarlet’s expression turned from rage to fear, before she passed out from lack of oxygen.

“You… you just… choked out an executive.” She stared at the redhead in utter shock.

“She’ll live.” He set Scarlet’s limp form down on the bed.

“Reno…”

“Don’t fuckin’ lecture me ‘Lena… I’m gonna catch hell for this from Tseng as it is. Assumin’ Heidegger lets me live that long…” He stood up, and Elena realized just how disheveled he really was. His shirt was torn open exposing angry red scratches across his chest, though it didn’t look like Scarlet had drawn blood. His hair was loose from it’s ponytail and hung over his shoulders in a wild cascade of crimson, and he was rubbing gently at the back of his scalp.

“Well… Are you okay, at least?”

“Yeah… I’m–” he began, before looking up at her, “Shit…” His eyes narrowed angrily. “That bitch…”

Elena blinked, confused. “What’s the matter?”

“You’re bleedin’, that’s what.”

Her hand immediately went to her cheek, and she flinched as the contact made it sting even more. Her fingertips came away coated in red.

“Help me with Scarlet, then we’ll go getcha cleaned up.”

The pair of Turks left Scarlet more or less tucked into bed to sleep off both her drunkeness and the results of Reno’s chokehold, and then returned to their own room.

“Sit down… I’ll see what I can find to fix ya up,” he said, disappearing into the bathroom. Elena crossed the room and looked in the mirror above the dresser. Four deep scratches marred her left cheek, three of which were bleeding freely. She pressed the sleeve of her jacket against the injury and took a seat on her bed.

“This is the last fuckin’ straw,” Reno grumbled as he emerged moments later with wet cloth. “Bad enough she doesn’t give me a moment’s peace any time I’m around her… now she’s goin’ after you, too. Fuck it. I don’t give a shit anymore… knockin’ her out was worth it.” He gently lifted her chin and turned her face away from him so he could get a better look at the scratches. Elena closed her eyes as he began to wipe away the blood. “Couple of these are deep… I’m takin’ you to see the Doc soon as we get back. Hopefully she’ll be able to do somethin’ to keep ’em from scaring.”

“R-reno… What are you going to do when Scarlet wakes up?”

“Probably whatever the hell she wants me to…” he muttered. Elena felt her stomach turn.

“Reno…”

“Kidding. Don’t worry about it. I got myself into this mess… I’ll get myself out.” He finished cleaning the cuts, and went for his bag, digging through it until he found small first aid kit. “Hold still, ‘kay?” She flinched as he applied an antiseptic, trying her best to ignore the painful stinging sensation. That done, he added a large square bandage to her cheek to keep the injury protected. “Best I can do… How’s it feel?”

“Okay, I guess… Reno, seriously…you’re not really going to…uh…”

The redhead shrugged. “Nah… I’m not that desperate. I’ll figure something out. She’s gonna be pissed though, so to be fair, it might be the easiest way to make her forget about this little… incident. Kind of a small price to pay, really.” He tossed his torn shirt aside and laid back on the bed, folding his arms behind his head. Elena leaned over him, and touched the marks Scarlet’s nails had left on his chest.

“I don’t think you mean that… I think it’d be a lot harder for you than you’re letting on.”

Reno didn’t answer right away. Instead, he curled up on his side and laid his head on her lap. “You surprise me sometimes, ‘Lena…”

“Why?” She toyed with a few strands of his hair for a moment before tucking them back behind his ear.

“‘Cause every once in awhile, you’ll get me so completely, even I’m not sure how ya picked up on it.”

---

When Elena woke the next morning, Reno had already disappeared. She’d finally gone to bed around one, as had Reno… though he’d been restless right up until she’d drifted off, and probably long after. She had a feeling he hadn’t slept well. A hastily scrawl note left on the nightstand let her know that he’d gone to deal with the consequences of subduing Scarlet.

A glance at the clock also told her that he’d shut off her alarm. It was almost an hour past when she should have been up. She groaned and hurried to get cleaned up and dressed… though she had no idea what she was supposed to do once she was done. It wasn’t as if she could be of much help at the moment… in fact, her presence would probably only make Scarlet angrier. In the end, she opted for checking on the various security devices they’d installed, and ensuring the helicopter had remained unbothered overnight before wandering off for a quiet breakfast and returning to her room… only to find that Reno still wasn’t back.

She briefly considered contacting Tseng and telling him what had happened… and in fact, got as far as pulling up his number on her PHS when the subject of her concern at last turned up.

Reno all but burst through the door, grinning madly. He closed it behind him, and didn’t say a word until he was barely two feet away from her.

“‘Lena… I am officially the luckiest bastard on the face of the planet,” he said in a slightly hushed, and obviously excited, voice.

“Umm… okay?” She blinked in confusion, wondering just what had happened to so drastically change his outlook. “So… you talked to Scarlet, then…?”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and she could literally feel the lack of tension in his body. Whatever had happened, all of his worry over ‘fixing’ last night seemed to have evaporated. “Yep. I’m officially off the hook. Turns out Scarlet was so fucking hammered last night she doesn’t remember a damn thing. She actually thanked me for makin’ sure she got back to her room in one piece. Course that was right before she tried to fondle me into a corner, but hey… given the alternative, I’ll take what I can get.”

“Oh, thank Shiva…” Elena sighed, relieved for him, “Um… Where is she now?”

“Back in talks with Dio. Hungover as all fuck, too. Bet that’d be an interesting meeting to watch.” He suddenly smirked and and tightened his grip on her. Elena squeaked in surprise as she found herself being ushered insistently out of the room. “Meantime, though, you ‘n me are gonna go celebrate the fact that I’m not havin’ to consider bein’ Scarlet’s personal whore tonight. We’re hittin’ up every ride in this place… my treat.”

---

“Oh, god… no more… please, Reno…” Elena groaned as she wrapped her arms around her stomach, stopping the redhead from dragging her into yet another line. Between the rides and Reno’s unyielding desire to stuff her with everything from cotton candy to chocolate-covered peanuts, she was certain any further ‘fun’ would bring her to her knees.

The redhead paused in his bid to get to the front of the line, and studied her for a moment. “Heh… Sorry. Guess I might be gettin’ a little carried away. You okay?”

She’d lost track of how long they’d been at it. When Reno had promised her every ride in the Gold Saucer, he’d meant it… multiple times, and with plenty of high-sugar snacking while waiting their turn. The marathon of binge-eating and constant motion was beginning to wear on her.

“I’m fine… I just need a break.” Elena was quietly guided toward a bench and urged to sit. She leaned her head back against the wall. “I can’t keep up with you,” she said, smiling slightly.

Reno grinned and pulled her head down against his shoulder. “Yeah… I tend to overdo it a little here. I can’t actually get him to admit it, but I think Tseng has privately vowed never to come back to the Gold Saucer with me for any reason other than business.”

“You talked him into coming here for something other than business once? What’d you do? Blackmail him?” she chuckled. The Gold Saucer was definitely not somewhere she’d picture Tseng spending his free time. Not voluntarily, at any rate.

“Nah… It was a birthday present when I was seventeen. He lasted a lot longer than you did… but only ’cause he was smart enough not to join in on the junk food buffet. Still ran him pretty ragged, though…”

“No kidding, if he never dared come back…”

Reno nudged her playfully with his arm. “Hey, in my defense, that was the first time I’d ever been in a place like this. I was kinda excited. So… ready for another ride?”

Elena moaned at the mere thought.

“That a yes?”

“You know… you still haven’t told me what you and Scarlet were up to last night before you came staggering back into the hotel with her.”

“You’re stallin’…” Reno accused her, grinning widely.

Yes, it was an attempt at stalling. The roller coaster still wasn’t looking too appealing to her, even if Reno was eager to get in as much entertainment as he possibly could before they had to go back to work.

“N-no, I’m not… I really want to know!”

“Hmph… Sure ya do. Fine, I’ll humor ya. Let’s see… First she dragged me to the show in the Event Square. Same one you ‘n me saw earlier… Lucky for me, we weren’t the only ones there, so she mostly behaved. Still had to put up with her hand on my thigh the entire time, though. Then she insisted on goin’ to watch the chocobo races… Mostly ’cause they serve alcohol up there, and I’m pretty sure she was hopin’ to get me drunk enough I might be a little more… uh… compliant.”

Elena couldn’t help but snicker a little at the redhead’s sour expression.

“Course what she didn’t realize is that one, I don’t drink when I’m workin’, and two, I’m not that fuckin’ stupid. Gotta hand it to her, though… Scarlet can really slam ’em back. She was hittin’ the hard stuff, too. It was actually pretty funny to watch… ’til I had to haul her back to the hotel. I got a very detailed description of exactly what she wanted to do to me while I was tryin’ to get her up the stairs.” He smirked and leaned back against the wall, cupping his hands behind his head to cushion it. “And people call me Shinra Company’s resident pervert… I’m kinda ashamed to admit it, but I may have to relinquish the title.”

“Oh, come on…” she said, her tone skeptical. Reno had the filthiest mind of anyone she knew. It was a little hard to believe someone might actually have him beat.

“Not exaggeratin’. I mean, I’ll try just about anything at least once, but that was a bit much… Hell, I’m not even sure some of it would be physically possible unless I were double-jointed. Which I’m not, by the way. Just in case you were wonderin’. You want details?”

“No.”

Reno smirked and pretended he hadn’t heard her. “She was dead fuckin’ serious, too. Said she’d brought handcuffs. As if I’d ever let that woman restrain me for any reason… much less so she could –”

“Seriously, Reno… I really don’t want details.”

“You sure? Might give ya a new perspective on company leadership.” Elena fixed him with a glare. That sort of ‘perspective’ she didn’t need. “Tch… fine. Be that way. One of these days, though, I’m finally gonna pull you outta that sexually repressed mindset you’re stuck in,” he said, with a teasing grin.

“I am NOT sexually repressed!” she shouted at him, offended… moments later turning beet-red as all eyes in the Square suddenly turned toward her, and several parents covered the ears of their young children. Reno, naturally, was laughing hysterically. “Sometimes I really do hate you, Reno…” she added, lowering her voice to avoid any further embarrassment.

“Yeah, I know… but even when you hate me, you can’t help but love me. Admit it…” he finally managed, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. Elena started to voice a half-hearted denial of that, only to be silenced by a sudden shrill voice.

“There you are! I’ve been looking for you for twenty minutes because you didn’t bother charging my phone last night!” Scarlet growled, looking pointedly at Elena. The rookie blinked, not entirely sure what the appropriate response to that would be… it was hardly her part of her job description to ensure that the woman’s PHS was charged.

“But… it’s…” Reno suddenly kicked her, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw him subtly shake his head. His meaning was clear… It wasn’t worth the argument. Better to just smile and nod. For a moment, the rookie simply froze. Scarlet cast her a final contemptuous glance before turning her attention to Reno.

Unfortunately for Scarlet, – and frankly, Elena wasn’t sure if it was the copious amounts of refined sugar she’d ingested, or the fact that her cheek still stung from the claw marks the executive left behind the previous night, or the disgustingly simpering look she was giving Reno at the moment and everything she’d watched her put him through – something about that glance pushed her over the edge. Elena did something she wouldn’t normally have thought herself capable of.

“Ma’am, that isn’t my responsibility.”

Scarlet stopped mid-sentence in whatever she was saying to the redhead and rounded on her. “What did you say?” she hissed dangerously.

“Our job is to make sure you return to Midgar alive. We’re not your servants, and we’re not here to amuse you… and we’re certainly not here to cater to your bizarre fetishes, so stop trying to feel Reno up every time you’re within two feet of him! For Ifrit’s sake, take a hint… He’s not interested!”

Reno stared at her, slack-jawed and wide-eyed, clearly wondering if the rookie had just lost her mind. He moved to separate the two women, only to be firmly shoved back by Elena.

“How dare you… You’ll be answering to Heidegger for this. Just you wait… When I’m through with you, you won’t even qualify for a secretarial position in Shinra…”

“Well then, since I have nothing to lose… You’re a bitch. You’re a vindictive, cruel, power-hungry slut who’s so desperate for a little attention she throws herself at a guy half her age who’s way too good for her anyway. You’re a pathetic excuse for a human being, and if you weren’t lucky enough to have slept your way onto the executive board, you’d probably be working for Don Corneo in Wall Market!”

By the end of her rant, Elena was breathing heavily, and fighting the impulse to slap the woman for good measure. People had stopped to watch and, she noted, at some point Gold Saucer security had arrived and were lingering at the edge of the crowd. Reno took advantage of the momentary pause to finally step between them.

“Get her out of my sight…” Scarlet ground out, apparently becoming aware of the sudden scrutiny. Reno seized the rookie by the shoulders and propelled her toward the tunnel that led to the hotel as subtly as he could, trying to ignore the cold feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. He said nothing until they were safely in their room.

“… ‘Lena?” The woman was still practically vibrating with anger… He’d seen her mad before, but this was a whole other level of pissed off. She looked up at him, visibly calming. For a moment. And then she went so pale, that Reno was afraid she was going to pass out then and there.

“I-I didn’t just do that… Did I?”

“Not that I don’t appreciate you comin’ to my defense ‘n all, but… what the hell were you thinkin’ ‘Lena?” he asked, gently guiding her over to the bed and easing her down onto the edge of the mattress.

Elena shook her head, looking dazed. “I don’t know…” She swallowed harshly. “I just… I’ve been watching you put up with her… her bullshit… this entire time, and I just – I couldn’t stand there and watch it anymore. I’m in a lot of trouble… aren’t I?”

“Yeah… Pretty safe bet…”

“… I’m going to be sick…” Elena shot from the bed straight into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. It was an understandable reaction, Reno mused. The rookie had potentially just derailed her entire career. He was feeling a little queasy himself on her behalf. He took a steadying breath and pulled out his PHS. This was more than he could handle on his own. He pulled up Tseng’s number and pressed the button to dial. The Turk leader answered on the fourth ring.

“Tseng here… Problem keeping Scarlet off of you?” The teasing note in the man’s voice normally would have calmed him. This time, however…

“Bigger problem, boss…” he replied, “Ya know how ‘Lena can be a little timid ’round people in authority sometimes?”

“Yes…” came the guarded response.

“Yeah… well… I’m kinda wishin’ she’d stayed that way. Apparently Scarlet pushed her a little too far.”

Violent retching could be heard from the direction of the bathroom.

“What happened and how bad is it?”

“Eh… Long story short, Scarlet’s been her usual oh-so-pleasent self around me, and ‘Lena finally flipped out and told her off… pretty spectacularly, actually. If I hadn’t been so worried about her bein’ torn limb from limb, I’da been impressed. Never woulda thought ‘Lena of all people would have the balls to call Scarlet a bitch to her face. It was like all thoughts of self-preservation just evaporated. It… uh… obviously didn’t go over so well.”

“… Put Elena on. Now.”

“I would, boss, but she’s kinda busy comin’ to grips with the reality of the situation at the moment.”

“Meaning?”

“She’s pukin’ her guts out. Think she’s gonna be awhile.” He paused looking in the direction Elena had disappeared, and gave serious consideration to joining her in the effort. It was rare these days that he felt so unsure of his next course of action, that he had to appeal to Tseng for guidance before he dared act. Rarer still that he was at a complete loss. “… So what the hell do I do?”

“To be perfectly honest, I have no idea.” It was all Reno could do to keep from groaning out loud. “Whatever you do, keep her away from Scarlet. In fact… I think it best that Elena return to Midgar as soon as possible. There’s little sense in tempting fate any farther. I’ll arrange transport immediately… You stay and continue with your assignment. Do nothing else.”

“Yeah, got it…”

“I mean it, Reno. Don’t believe for a second that I don’t know exactly what you’re thinking…”

“Always knew you were psychic…”

“Reno…” Tseng’s tone was warning.

“Yeah, okay. No tryin’ to fix this by offerin’ myself to the demon lady. I got it,” he said, “… You know I’d do it for ‘Lena in heartbeat, though.”

“Which is why I’m specifically ordering you not to. Let me sort this out.”

---

Elena stepped out onto the runway in Junon. The tiny plane that had delivered her, turned and taxied back to a take-off position, the gruff pilot giving her a grudging farewell wave. She hadn’t been much for conversation during the flight… which had seemed to suit him just fine. She got the impression that Cid Highwind wasn’t overly fond of the Turks… or any other Shinra department that siphoned off funds from the space program. He was one of Palmer’s staff, from Rocket Town. Why Palmer still had staff at all was anyone’s guess – the space program had been defunct for years, and everyone but the man himself seemed to know it – but Highwind’s proximity to the Gold Saucer had made him convenient when Tseng had needed to call for her quiet extraction, so it was a little hard to complain. She watched as the plane picked up speed, lifting into the air and vanishing into the glare of the sun.

She hadn’t wanted to leave Reno on his own, but Tseng had insisted… and she could see the logic in it. The farther she was from Scarlet, the better.

When she had finally calmed herself down… or at least emptied her stomach to the point that she was capable of standing up again… Reno had informed her that she was being recalled to Midgar, effective immediately. He’d stayed with her for a short while, but ultimately had no choice but to answer Scarlet’s summons.

Left alone with her thoughts, Elena couldn’t help but visualize the worst. Facing Tseng seemed almost more terrifying than facing Scarlet again… she could just imagine his disappointment in her. And then there was the horrifying feeling of loss that threatened to subdue her completely. It was entirely too similar to how she’d felt after Bel had died.

It was likely that she’d no longer be a Turk in the very near future. That meant that the people she’d come to depend on and care about would stop being a part of her daily life. She’d still see them, of course – surely they wouldn’t simply desert her altogether – but things would change drastically.

Her ride to Junon had arrived before Reno returned. Leaving the Gold Saucer without saying anything to him left her feeling empty and alone.

“Elena.”

The rookie jumped, startled out of the jumbled train of thought that seemed to have enveloped her. Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag as she turned, slowly, to face the Turk leader. She hadn’t expected him to come and collect her personally…

“Sir… I… I’m sorry… I –” Tseng held up a hand, silencing her.

“You needn’t explain yourself. I’ve wanted to do the same thing to that nightmare of a woman for years.” Tseng gently gripped her arm, escorting her away from the runway and through a narrow alleyway between the tightly packed buildings. “I trust, however, that you realize the consequences of your actions…”

“Yes, sir,” she said softly. He paused a moment, tilting her chin upwards and studying the bandage on her cheek.

“What happened here?”

“Oh… that. Scarlet slapped, me, sir. Her nails got me pretty good.”

“Reno didn’t mention the confrontation had become physical…” he said, frowning.

“I-it didn’t, sir. It happened last night, before Reno could… um…” she stopped herself, suddenly realizing that Tseng obviously hadn’t been told about their drunken struggle with the executive in her hotel room the previous evening. Apparently, Reno had decided to leave that out. Tseng’s eyebrow arched curiously.

“Before Reno could what… ?”

“He… uh… S-scarlet was drunk. Er… very drunk, sir. I was trying to help him with her and she… came after me. She got in one good slap before I could avoid it and Reno grabbed her and… um… subdued her.”

“Define ‘subdued’.”

“He kind of… knocked her out. Well, choked her out, really…” Elena admitted. Tseng groaned and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. She quickly added, “She didn’t remember any of it the next morning…”

“Thank goodness for small favors…” he sighed, continuing down the alley and emerging on the next street. He ushered her through a door, and Elena was more than a little surprised to find herself in a tiny, and nearly empty, bar.

“Sir?”

“Given recent events, I think you need something a bit stronger than your usual camomile. And given what you just told me… so do I. Sit.” The pair of them took a seat at a table in the corner. “I always knew he’d eventually drive me to drink…” he added, plainly joking, but straight-faced nevertheless, as he requested two scotch and sodas from the waitress.

“Sir? What’s going to happen to me?” she asked, grimacing as the strongly alcoholic beverage burned the back of her throat on the way down.

“Nothing, if I have anything to say about it.” Elena looked up in surprise and Tseng smirked. “You didn’t really think I was simply going to stand by and let Scarlet make an example of you, did you?”

“But… What can you do to stop her?”

“I don’t intend to stop her, per se… I intend to stop Heidegger from cowing to the demands she will inevitably make. In fact, I’ve already begun working toward that end.”

“I’m not sure I understand, sir… I thought you told me they had some sort of alliance.”

“Mmm… That’s true. But as you may have noticed, Heidegger is something of a pompous egomaniac. I think planting the idea in his head that Scarlet is the one with the real power in their relationship will discourage him from acting too… rashly.” Tseng smiled over the rim of his glass. “And failing that, I do have alliances of my own, as well as favors owed to me. I will call in every one of them, should the need arise. I have no intention of losing you, Elena.”

Elena couldn’t say anything for a moment. She was used to Reno going out of his way for her… he did it constantly, and often for no other reason than that he felt like it. But when Tseng did it, for some reason, it always caught her a little off-guard. She supposed it was because, in many ways, she felt as though she still had something to prove to him. Somehow, she frequently seemed to forget that the Wutaiian Turk was easily just as protective of his fellow Turks as Reno tended to be… if, perhaps, a bit less openly demonstrative of the fact.

Tseng’s calm was contagious. She found herself relaxing for the first time in hours.

---

Scarlet was still fuming. Reno had endured more than three hours of her alternately berating Elena and swearing to anyone in range of her temper tantrum that the rookie would be out on her ass the second the executive set foot back in Midgar. It was starting to give him a headache.

On the plus side, she seemed to be far too angry to be interested in him for once. Reno wasn’t sure if that was a good thing, or a very, very bad thing.

Tseng had assured him that he would take care of the matter, and the redhead knew better than to doubt Tseng’s word. Still… he couldn’t help worrying. He sighed softly and tried to push it aside. Worrying wouldn’t do Elena any good, and he still had Scarlet to wrangle. And, this time, without the rookie to help keep her at bay.

A slight grin crept over his face as he thought back to the scene that had unexpectedly unfolded in front of the roller coaster. At the time, he’d been silently begging her to stop before Scarlet drop-kicked her over the railing, but now… now he almost wished he’d been the one to say it. The executive’s expression when Elena had accused her of sleeping her way to the top had been too perfect. He hadn’t even known Elena was aware of that particular rumor. He couldn’t recall it ever having come up… though he could hardly be considered the office gossip.

Rather ironically, that title sat squarely on Rude’s shoulders. If there was gossip to be had, Rude knew about it… He specialized in intelligence gathering, and that extended to the Shinra rumor mill. He didn’t actively spread that information around… but he wasn’t shy about sharing with his fellow Turks if asked. And of course, Odin only knew what he and Elena talked about when they got together for their Shadow & Sword fix every week. Reno strongly suspected the subject must have come up between them at some point… and wondered what other rumors she might have heard from him.

The rookie’s comment about him being too good for Scarlet hadn’t slipped by him unnoticed, either. He didn’t exactly need the ego boost, nor was he under the impression that Elena had a low opinion of him in general… but he wasn’t going to deny that he’d thoroughly enjoyed hearing her say it.

“Are you even listening?!” The sudden screech interrupted his quiet musings and Reno shifted his gaze to the executive.

“Yes, ma’am… Every word.”

“Oh, really…” she challenged, “Then what did I just say?”

Reno resisted the urge to sigh. “You affirmed that my colleague will regret ever having crossed you. You called her a skinny little whore, questioned how exactly she managed to get promoted to the Turks and listed a few possibilities – none of which were very flattering – and made several comments against her parentage, her appearance, and her intelligence… Would you like me to go on?” He’d opted to use what Rude referred to as his ‘professional voice’. It was certain to irritate her, and he himself was far too annoyed with the executive to want to placate her in any way. Really, it was just his impression of Tseng… though he could never seem to get the cadence quite right.

Just because he hadn’t acknowledged the diatribe didn’t mean he hadn’t been listening. Considering her volume, it would have been difficult not to. And in any case, he seldom allowed himself to tune out entirely from a conversation, even one as one-sided as this.

Scarlet scowled at him and stormed off to the other side of the conference room. Dio was late, and it wasn’t improving her mood… not by a long shot. Reno wasn’t entirely certain why she’d ordered him to join her this time. Probably as a not-so-subtle threat to use in her bargaining, but with Scarlet, one never knew… though she did seem anxious to finish her business at the Gold Saucer so she could exact her vengeance on Elena as soon as possible.

Reno leaned back in the plush leather chair, propping his feet up on the table. Intimidation was one role he was intimately acquainted with. If that’s what she wanted him for, he was only too happy to deliver. It beat having to avoid her constant groping.

She hadn’t even attempted to make a pass at him him the entire time they’d been alone together. At this point, he was almost willing to admit that he preferred having Scarlet pissed off… would have admitted it, too, had her ire not been directed at Elena. Having the woman’s focus shifted towards one of his best friends didn’t sit well with him.

Reno sat up as the door opened, ready to move if needed. Dio stepped inside, closing the it behind him. Time to go to work…

---

“If you don’t mind me asking, sir… Why didn’t you ever call in one of these favors to get Scarlet off Reno’s back?”

They’d hitched a ride on one of Shinra’s massive airships that was bound for a supply transfer in Midgar. At the moment, the two Turks were on the upper deck, looking out over the railing towards the ocean.

“I tried once. And it did grant him a short reprieve,” Tseng replied, “Unfortunately, Scarlet is very interested in Reno. Eventually, she was back to her old ways again. There is a limit to the lengths to which my allies higher up in the company will go for me, I’m afraid. After that, Reno agreed that avoiding her was a far simpler option, and for the most part, it’s quite effective. Every once in awhile, however…”

Tseng sighed and shook his head. It was a problem they’d had for years. He could clearly recall the first time Scarlet had cornered Reno. It was sheer luck that Tseng had come upon them when he had… and the look of panic in the redhead’s eyes had plainly told him that he had absolutely no idea how to handle the situation.

It had, of course, been the very incident Elena had asked about before leaving for the Gold Saucer. For Tseng’s part… it had been one of those rare moments when his self-control had nearly failed him. He’d come dangerously close to doing far more than merely stuffing the unconscious woman into the trunk of his car…

The situation had ultimately resulted in Tseng taking Reno home with him rather than dropping him off at his own apartment once the rest of the party-goers had been dealt with. The eighteen year old had casually brushed off his concern, but it was obvious he was more than slightly shaken and he hadn’t even pretended to argue against the idea of sleeping in Tseng’s guest room that night. Reno really hadn’t been quite himself for days afterward, and it was only due to the long holiday break that it hadn’t affected his job performance… beyond being extremely hesitant to ever have anything to do with Scarlet again, of course. Over the years, Reno had come to be more annoyed by her attempts than traumatized by them… though it didn’t make Tseng wish any less that she would simply leave him be.

“Sir?”

Sending Elena along had been a mistake. He had hoped she would deter Scarlet’s more obnoxious behavior… instead, it seemed to have given the executive a perceived rival to compete with.

“Sir? … Tseng?”

His own name pulled him back to the present. “I’m sorry, Elena… I was a bit lost in thought. I hate forcing Reno to deal with that woman. It feels almost cruel. And I really should have known better than to get you involved. In hindsight, it was bound to end badly.”

“You… um… You don’t think Reno will try and fix this himself, do you sir? I mean, after he knocked her out he kind of joked about… um… doing whatever she wanted him to do. He wouldn’t really… would he? Even if it got me out of trouble?”

“Absolutely not,” Tseng said, without hesitation. Elena blinked, clearly surprised by the decisiveness of his tone.

“Oh…”

Tseng chuckled softly. She sounded like she wasn’t sure whether to be disappointed or relieved. “He won’t, because I explicitly ordered him not to do anything so unbelievably foolish. Don’t doubt for a moment that he wasn’t perfectly willing to allow Scarlet to have her way with him in exchange for forgetting about your little… outburst. And was giving serious consideration to doing just that.”

The rookie looked vaguely horrified just by the idea.

“I knew I should have talked to him before I left. I’d rather be out on my ass than let him do that.”

“You needn’t worry about it. I was very clear with him… I’m sure it remains, in his mind, an option, and probably will until he’s thoroughly convinced Scarlet no longer poses a threat, but he will trust me to handle it before he resorts to anything too idiotic.”

“It’s funny, sir… I thought you’d be furious with me. I was a little afraid I wouldn’t even have to worry about Scarlet once you got through with me…”

Tseng snorted in contempt. “For defending one of your own? Hardly.” He glanced sideways at her, smirking. “To be honest, I’m far more annoyed that I wasn’t there to witness it. Incidentally, we’ll be paying a visit to Dr. Ward. I want your injuries documented.”

“I was going to see her anyway… Reno was worried about it scarring, and I think he’d be upset if I didn’t.”

“Is it that bad?”

“One of the scratches is pretty deep… I’m not really that concerned about it, though. I think he was more angry than I was, actually.”

“Then I had better have Ward standing by when we arrive…” Tseng commented, chuckling, “I certainly don’t want Reno angry with me, as well, for delaying treatment.”

---

Elena squinted as her head was turned toward what must have been one of the brightest lights she’d ever seen.

“Hmph… worried over nothing, if yeh ask me. That little thing doesn’t even warrant stitches. It’s a nasty scratch, but I think yer going ta heal just fine, long as yeh keep it clean and don’t go picking at the scab.”

“Reno will be relieved, I’m sure,” Tseng responded from just outside Elena’s current line of sight.

“Typical… no problem at all demanding I take of scraped knees and bloody noses for the rest of yeh, but try ‘n get that little troublemaker in here for the simplest thing, and he’ll fight yeh tooth and nail,” the aging doctor groused good-naturedly. She released her grip on Elena’s chin and shut off the overhead light. The rookie blinked rapidly, trying to clear the spots it left behind from her vision.

“I simply want documentation of the injury, should I need to prove provocation,” he added.

“In a bit of trouble, are yeh?” Ward prodded her, in a teasing tone, “I probably shouldn’t be surprised. Yeh spend entirely too much time with my favorite little headache. Next thing yeh know, it’ll be the both of yeh making my life miserable…”

Elena moved to reply, but Tseng beat her to it. “Doctor… unless you wish to procure a second patient for yourself today by driving me to a nervous breakdown, please don’t give voice to my greatest fear in life. One Reno is all I can handle…”

Dr. Ward laughed, and turned her gaze on the Turk leader. “And here I thought yeh had no sense of humor, Tseng…”

“Who says I was joking?” he replied, in mock seriousness.

---

Reno leaned back in his seat as the helicopter touched down on the roof of the Shinra Building, and rubbed his temples.

Four hours.

Four hours of listening to Scarlet bitch and moan and brag in excruciating detail about just how fucked Elena was going to be for crossing her. Even when they’d set down to refuel in Junon, she hadn’t stopped for more than a few minutes. His head was throbbing, and he was beginning to wonder if perhaps Elena hadn’t had the right idea. The temptation to just turn around and tell the woman to shut the hell up was strong, consequences be damned. Maybe he and Elena could start their own mercenary company when Heidegger canned them both.

He bit back a groan and climbed out, dutifully opening the door for the executive.

“And you’re coming with me!” she said, punctuating her rant.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, yes… you’re going to confirm every last thing I say to Heidegger. And I’m going to make sure that little tramp is there to hear you do it!”

Reno’s PHS vibrated silently in his pocket… probably Tseng confirming that he had received his text regarding their return to Midgar. He’d sent it as soon as the city was in sight and then silenced his phone, not wanting to give Scarlet any reason to think he’d given the Turk leader a heads up. The executive crossed the roof to the elevator, Reno trailing behind her. Moments later they were on their way down.

When they stepped out, it was onto plush carpeting instead of the usual tile floor – the executive offices were a hell of a lot cushier than what they were stuck with on the lower floors. The sound of Scarlet’s heels was muffled by it, and Reno vaguely wondered just how often that carpet had to be replaced because of her footwear.

A short walk brought them to the door of Heidegger’s private office. Scarlet didn’t even pause. She simply reached out and shoved the door open… and nearly walked straight into Tseng.

“Ma’am. I trust you had a good trip.”

“Out of my way,” she hissed, pushing past him. Reno cocked an eyebrow questioningly at the Wutaiian Turk, who responded only with a somewhat sly smile before quickly taking his leave.

---

Elena was sitting restlessly in the Turks’ private lounge with Tseng, enjoying a cup of Wutaiian tea made from the Turk leader’s personal stash. She’d been on edge since he’d told her Scarlet and Reno were back.

Tseng had been busy. She wasn’t sure what he’d been up to, but once they’d left the medical suite, he’d deposited her in their offices, and disappeared for hours. Then he’d returned just as suddenly as he’d vanished, looking decidedly pleased with himself, but unwilling to discuss the matter. All he’d told her was that he had just run into the pair outside of Heidegger’s office. Then he’d made them both a cup of tea and begun discussing the weather, as though nothing were out of the ordinary. When she’d tried to pry more information out of him, he’d simply told her she’d have to wait and see, changed the subject.

But waiting was just making her more and more tense… which was probably why she nearly jumped a mile when Reno suddenly staggered through the lounge door, laughing hysterically.

“Fuck, Tseng… I don’t know what the hell you did, but that had to be the funniest damn thing I’ve ever seen!” he finally managed, “They’re still at each others’ throats…”

The redhead collapsed onto the couch next to Elena.

“Ah… Good. I was hoping things would work out as intended. Plan B was a little questionable, and most certainly against regulations.”

“W-what?”

Reno smirked and draped an arm over her shoulders. “It was fuckin’ beautiful… You shoulda seen it, ‘Lena. Scarlet walked in ready to lay into Heidegger about you, and the second she opened her mouth, he’s accusin’ her of trying to undermine him. Said he wasn’t gonna tolerate anyone questioning his authority… ‘specially not a lowly weapons researcher. Oh… she was ticked about that. Best part was when she tried orderin’ me to tell Heidegger what had happened at the Gold Saucer and he’s basically screamin’ at the top of his lungs that the Turks are his responsibility and no – and I quote – ‘token female’ is gonna tell him what to do with ’em. Always figured Heidegger for kind of a misogynist, but damn… When I finally walked out, they were in a no-holds-barred pissing match over who’s department was more valuable to the company.”

She blinked and looked over at Tseng. “But… how did you…”

“Elena… Let’s just say I didn’t get where I am by being a model employee all the time. In fact, Plan B may still go into effect just for the sake of retribution.”

“And that’s why ya don’t fuck with Tseng. Ever…” Reno added.

---

By Friday, it had become clear that Scarlet had more important things to worry about than her petty grudge against Elena. All sorts of things seemed to be going wrong for the executive… everything from an unannounced security audit of every one of the research labs under her supervision, to her car being impounded while it was parked outside of her condo by the Midgar city police one morning. She was far too busy putting out the fires to concern herself with attempting to bring up any sort of reprimand for the rookie with Heidegger again.

Elena had finally begun to relax by the time the weekend rolled around, but still couldn’t shake the nagging thought that eventually the other shoe was going to drop. Which was probably why she cringed when her PHS rang early Saturday afternoon and she saw Reno’s number come up on the display.

“Elena here.”

“Uh… ‘Lena? You doin’ anything right now?”

“No…” she said, a little hesitantly. Reno didn’t sound concerned, really… though something was definitely up.

“Could ya maybe come over? Now? I… kinda need some help.”

“Oh… Um… Okay, sure. What’s up?”

“… You’ll see when ya get here. Just… ya know… hurry.” With that, he hung up, leaving Elena wondering what in the world was going on. It was a short walk, but the subtle note of desperation in Reno’s voice made her grab her car keys on the way out. A few minutes later, she was stepping out of the elevator on Reno’s floor.

She hurried down the hallway, knocking sharply on the door. It opened a crack, and for a moment she wasn’t sure how it had managed to do so. No one seemed to be there.

“Hi!” an excited voice cried, and the door opened all the way, revealing a tiny girl with mousy brown hair… this time tied up in a pale pink ribbon rather than dozens of little braids.

“O-oh… Hi Mirian. I guess Uncle Reno’s watching you again, huh?” Elena responded, curiously, “Er… Where is Reno?”

“‘Lena?! Oh, thank Ifrit…”

Mirian giggled and pulled her inside.

“Reno? What’s going… on?” Her eyes fell on her friend at last, and she snickered. “What are you doing?”

“He’s stuck like that…” the little girl helpfully supplied. Elena bit down hard on her lower lip as she calmly circled around the trapped redhead. Reno’s head was currently wedged between the decorative posts at the end of the counter separating the living room from the apartment’s little kitchenette. Judging by his expression, the man really was well and truly stuck.

“Why?” was the the only thing she could think to ask… and still couldn’t do so with a straight face.

“Mir dared me,” Reno responded, sheepishly.

“And… that somehow seemed like a good idea?”

“Just get me out.”

“Reno… if I ever have kids, you are definitely not going to be babysitting them.”

~fin~